1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information reproducing apparatus, and in particular to an information reproducing apparatus having an information reading device for reading information from an information recording carrier, a display device for displaying characters by the use of such information, and a sound producing device for producing sounds by the use of said information. This invention also relates to an information reproducing apparatus which can be suitably used by infants, the blind or aurally handicapped persons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatuses of this type have heretofore used a magnetic card memory, a floppy disc memory, a video disc memory, a magnetic tape memory or the like as an information recording carrier, a CRT display, a flat display or the like as a character display device, and a speaker or the like as a sound producing device.
As a character reproducing method, characters are converted into character code information and recording thereof is effected, and the character code information is read out and display thereof is effected on the character display device. Also, as a sound reproducing method, original sound signals are A/D (analog-digital) converted, whereafter digital signals subjected to band compression are recorded and read out, and then demodulation and D/A (digital-analog) conversion are effected, whereby the digital signals are made into sound signals, which in turn are reproduced by the sound reproducing device. According to the prior-art information reproducing method, both the character information and the sound information are recorded on an information recording carrier, and in such a construction, the amount of information after original sound signals have been A/D (analog-digital) converted is at least 3-4 kilobytes/sec., and to record lengthy sound information, a memory of very great capacity if required. Also, as regards to the number of displayed characters, a very great capacity is required where character code information for a long document or for a large number of documents is to be recorded.
However, in magnetic card memories heretofore generally used, the recording capacity is as small as about 100 bytes and for example, lengthy sound information and character code information cannot both be record at the same time.
Further, not only magnetic card memories but also other various memories have been limited in recording capacity by the size thereof and the recording system, and the amount of information obtained during reproduction has been limited.